Rope and bucket clip for automatic aerial wire-rope tramways.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

1 B. O. RIBLET.

ROPE AND BUCKET CLIP FOR AUTOMATIC AERIAL WIRE ROPE TRAMWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

1 x L l 1 k i x v r 1 r Stratum No. 783,647. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. B. G. RIBLET.

ROPE AND BUCKET CLIP FOR AUTOMATIC AERIAL WIRE ROPE TRAMWAYS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1904.

2 SHBETSSHBET 2.

=||Rlll|lll m llllum ummumuulllllmlum NITED STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

BYRON O. RIBLET, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

ROPE AND BUCKET CLIP FOR AUTOMATIC AERIAL WIRE-ROPE THAMWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,647, dated. February 28, 1905.

Application filed April 20, 1904. Serial No. 204,079.

To (all 11/71/0111 217 malty concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON O. RlnLn'r, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of \Nashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ropeand Bucket (,lips for Automatic Aerial VVire-Rope 'lramways; and iv do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, refercnce being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked there on, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rope and bucket clips for automatic aerial wire-rope tramways; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide an adjustable rope-grhgpingclip of the button type fol-aerial wire-ropc tramways that automatically pick up, convey, and release buckets at their leading and dumping stations; second, to provide a clip of the button type for automatic tramways that can be attached to traction-ropes of different diameters. l attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automatic button-clip connecting and releasing bucket mounted on a fragment of a track or stationary rope and showing my button-clip operatively connected thereto and to a fragment of a traction-rope of a tramway-line. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a button-clip embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is asection on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a filler-block. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a modification of the rope-gripping device. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the clip and shows a ball-shaped button on the body of the clip and also illustrates a different method of securing the wedges against accidental dis placementfrom the yokestraps, and Fig. 9 is a view of a wire staple for securing the wedges to the clip.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the track or stationary rope; 2, the

, and the clip-bar.

traction-rope; 3, the trolley of the bucket; a, the pendants of the bucket; 5, the bucket, and 6 the button-gripping device. As the bucket and its button-gripping device do not form any part of my present invention, I will designate the entire bucket in general by the numeral 5.

The body of my clip consists of a bar 6, which is of about the thickness of the tractioi'irope 2 and is considerably longer than it is wide. To each of its ends a yoke-strap 7 is riveted by rivets 8, which straps at their curved ends are made to fit around the traction-rope 2. These yoke-straps are made long enough to extend from the clipbar around the traction-rope and leave a space or aperture between the clip-bar and the rope and the sides of the yokes. I I fit loosely blocks 9, which 1. term "hum-s, one side of each of which is provided with a curved groove which [its the curved surface of the rope. .l. preferably form in the bottom of this curved groove spirally-fluted grooves 11, which I. arrange to lit the spiral lay of the strand 12 of the rope. These filler-blocks are made tapering on their opposite sides from the rope and are made of a width to occupy but a portion of the space between the rope block flanged head portions 12 and 13 are formed, which lap over the side edges of the yoke-straps and prevent displacement of the filler-blocks from the yoke-straps. in the remainder of the space in each of the yoke-straps I lit a wedge lei, one side of which bears against the clip-bar and the other side is tapering and bears against the tapering side of the fillerblocks. .1, preferably employ a lock device for securing the wedges against accidental displacement, and while there are several methods by which 1 may lock the wedges in their set positions 1 preferably carry out this feature of my invention in the following manner: On the inside of the clip-bar at the side of each yoke-strap 1 form lugs 15, in each of which I form an aperture 16. A threaded stem is formed on the adjacent ends of the wedges, which extend through the aperture in the lugs. N uts 17 are threaded to the threaded stems of the wedges and are screwed In these spaces At each end of each filler- TOO.

up against the lugs and effectually lock the wedges in their set positions.

In Fig. 7 I illustrate a slight modification of the arrangement of the filler-block and wedge of each yoke-strap. In this modification the filler-block 17 is made with straight parallel sides and the ad jaccnt edge of the clip-bar is tapered to form a taperingor wedge surface 18 and a wedge 18 is inserted between the clip-bar and the filler-block, its tapering side being placed against the tapering edge of the clip-bar. The wedge is provided on the under side of its inner end with notches 18. After the wedge hasbeen driven between the clip-bar and the filler-block tight enough to rigidly clamp the rope and yoke-straps and filler-block and clip-bar together it is secured in its set position by bending the point down so that one of the notches 18 will engage the adjacent end of the filler-block, which may be done by driving a cold chisel between the wedge and the clip-bar. When the wedge is to be removed, which is not necessary until the rope wears out, the point of the wedge is bent back straight with its body portion.

7 In Fig. 8 I illustrate another method of securing the wedges against accidental displacement, which is much simpler and more desirable than that shown in Fig. 7. In this arrangement I provide the point of each wedge with a hole 18 and after the wedges have been driven tightly into place connect the ends of the wedges with a wire 18 which I insert and twist tightly into a wire link or ring. These staples can be made quickly with a pair of pliers out of soft steel and can be tightly twisted into rings or bent into links and can be readily tightened in case the wedges have to be driven tighter at any time.

From the central portion of the opposite side of the clip-bar from the traction-rope a stem projects at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the clip-bar and traction-rope, on the end of which a button 19 is formed. The button is preferably made in outline and in the form of a disk, although, if desired, it may be made in the form of a ball, as shown in Fig. 8, or of an oval disk or egg shape.

The button of my clip is adapted to be guided into gripping-guideways of the buckets of automatic tramways, and the dumping and loading stations of which are provided with mechanism for guiding the buttons of the clips into the guideways of the buckets and locking them thereto and also of releasing them therefrom at their loading and d umping stations.

My improved button-clip is intended to be used with any tramway system that automatically picks up and leaves the buckets at loading and dumping stations.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rope and bucket clip, a clip-bar, a

' button adapted to be releasably secured to a tran'iway-bucket, and means including a wedge for securing said clip-bar to a traction-rope.

2. In a rope and bucket clip, a clipbar, a button on said clip-bar; yoke-straps secured at the opposite ends of said clip-bar adapted to surround a traction-rope and adjustable means for clamping said rope to said yoke-straps substantially as described.

3. In a rope and bucket clip, a clip-bar, a button on said clip adapted to be connected to a tramway-bucket, a yoke-strap connected to said clip-bar, and adjustable means for securing a traction-rope to said clip and yokestrap.

4. Ina rope and bucket clip, aclip-bar provided with means including a wedge for securing a tractionrope to it and provided with an automatic tramway-bucket-connecting button.

5. In a rope and bucket clip, a clip-bar, a button on said clip-bar adapted to be automatically connected to an automatic tramwaybucket; yoke-straps connected to said clipbar, a traction-rope and adjustable means including a rope-engaging block for securing said yoke-straps to said traction-rope.

6. In a rope and bucket clip, a clip-bar, yoke-straps secured to the opposite ends of said clip-bar and surrounding a traction-rope, a block in said yoke-straps fitting against said traction-rope and a key or wedge arranged to lock said yoke-straps and-clip-bar to said traction-rope; and a button on said clip-bar adapted to be releasably connected to a tramwaybucket.

7. In a rope and bucket clip, a clip-bar; yoke-straps rigidly secured to said clip-bar at its opposite ends and arranged to surround a traction-rope with their curved ends, a block fitting between the sides of said yoke-straps against said rope. a wedge fitting between said clip-bar and said rope-blocks between the sides of said yoke-straps and means for securing said wedges against accidental displacement, and means for connecting said clip-bar to a tramwaybucket, substantially as described.

8. In a rope and bucket clip, the combination with the clip-bar provided with the projecting stem provided with means for connect ing said clip-bar to a tramway-bucket of the yoke-straps rigidly secured to the opposite ends of said clip-bar and adapted to fit round a traction-rope at their curved ends, fillerblocks in said yoke-straps adapted to fit against said traction rope, lugs on said clip bar, wedges adapted to lock said filler-blocks and yoke-straps and said clip-bar to said tractionrope and provided with a threaded stem and nut connected to said lugs, substantially as described.

9. In a rope and bucket clip the combination of the clip-bar provided with the project- .ing stem and button, and the yoke-straps rig- "ream":

idly secured to said clip-bar with the fillerblocks having spiral grooves adapted to fit the strands of a traction-rope and means for locking said filler-blocks and clip-bar and yoke-straps to said traction-rope, substantially as described.

10. In a rope and bucket clip, the combination ofthe clipbar, the stem projecting therefrom, the button at the end of the stem, the yoke-straps and the filler-blocks. with the per forated lugs on said clip-bar adjacent to said yoke-straps, and a Wedge in each yoke-strap, a threaded stern on the point of each Wedge adapted to project loosely through said perforated lugs and nuts on the threaded stems of said wedges arranged to adjustably lock said wedges to said lugs, substantiallyas described.

11. In a rope and bucket clip, the combina tion of the clip-bar, the stern projecting therefrom, the button at the end of the stern, the yokestraps, and the filler-blocks with the Wedges, provided with a hole in the point of each Wedge and a wire inserted in the adjacent holes of the wedges and bent and twisted into a ring or hook to bind said wedges together. 12. In a rope and bucket clip the combina tion with the clip-bar, the yoke-straps and the filler-blocks, of the wedges, the holes in the wedges and the Wire staple fitting said holes and arranged to connect and bend said wedges together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliixiny signature in presence of two witnesses.

BYRON U. RlBLETl. \Vitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLio'r'r, A. H. VVHEATLEY. 

